Cortney has been teaching with TGF since 2009. Currently, she’s a Pre-Ballet & Jazz teaching artist and Co-Director of the everybody dance! Performance Company. During her time in Los Angeles, she has danced in numerous music videos, plays, live performances, and she performs often with the Modern Dance Company The Movement Movement. Before that, she was a member of Zoetic Dance Ensemble in Atlanta, GA, performing with Immerse Dance Co. and Duende Dance Theater. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a double degree in Dance and History. Cortney also does a little improv comedy and performs locally with her improv troupe.

A Houston Native, Dusty grew up as a competitive gymnast, actor, and dancer. He received his BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University and worked in NYC as a professional dancer immediately following his graduation. After a year of dancing for Disney, Ford Auto, Nickelodeon, and teaching master classes at Broadway Dance Center and StageDoor Connections, Dusty joined the Israeli dance troupe, The Aluminum Show. Following The Aluminum Show, Dusty became a company dancer with DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion®. He was involved in three creations, including Fluid Infinities, which premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in September 2013. In 2015, Dusty became Director of The DIAVOLO Institute, the company’s education and community engagement branch, which fosters dance education throughout Los Angeles. The DIAVOLO Institute partnered with everybody dance! in 2016 and he is incredibly grateful to be able to continue this enriching partnership.

Kara Anthony is a native of Baltimore Maryland. Her professional dance career began at the Baltimore School for the Arts, which led her New York City to dance with The Ailey School, of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Kara has studied Ballet, Modern, Jazz, West African, Salsa, and Latin Hustle. She danced and competed in Latin Hustle after the completion of the Ailey program though out New York and Philadelphia for two years before relocating to Los Angeles. Currently, Kara freelances as a choreographer for weddings, events, and music videos. This is her first year with Everybody Dance and she is elated to have an opportunity to continue impacting the arts with teaching.

Staci serves as The Gabriella Foundation’s Director of Operations, ensuring effective day-to-day and long-term execution of all of the Foundation’s administrative and operations functions, financial reporting, and human resources. She also plays a supportive role in strategic planning. Staci is an accomplished and passionate youth and human services non-profit professional with over 20 years’ experience. Prior to joining TGF, Staci spent eight years as the Executive Director of Hollywood Police Activities League (Hollywood PAL), a community-based crime prevention program that provides young people with positive alternatives to gangs and drugs through interaction with police officers in recreational, educational, athletic, and fine arts activities.

Staci graduated from The College of William and Mary with a BA in Spanish and completed the following programs: Executive Service Corps Executive Director Leadership Program, Project Grantsmanship, CNM’s Accredited Coaching Training Program (Goldvarg Consulting Group), and the Annenberg Foundation’s Alchemy and Alchemy + Leadership Seminars.

Rayven Armijo has studied Mexican folk dance and flamenco since the age of 3, pursed training at LA County Arts High School and Ailey Dance School, and toured with two New York based choreographers, Jennifer Archibald and Maguette Camara while performing modern dance, hip-hop, and West African dance. Rayven founded a company called cuerva spending countless hours working on its unique style and depth of movement that deconstructs the traditional gender roles embedded in folk dance while incorporating broader movement vocabularies. For 4 years, after returning from New York, Rayven was a soloist with Grandeza Mexicana Mexican Folk Ballet Company performing the diverse styles of Mexican folk dance. In 2008, she was a top twenty competitor in the Fox hit show So You Think You Can Dance, categorized as the “contemporary ballet dancer.” In 2009, she graduated from University of La Verne with a BS in political science, and then traveled to China to study Chinese language and culture for 6 years. Rayven is now pursuing a MFA in choreography at UCLA and is currently a teaching artist at the Judith F. Baca Arts academy in collaboration with Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC). She is a recipient of the Graduate Opportunity Fellowship Scholarship in 2015, Elaine Krown Klein Scholarship in 2016, and Harry M. and Alma Egan Hyatt Scholarship award in 2017. Through the many years of co-directing and teaching at Ballet Folklorico de Carolina with her mother, she now sees herself as a mentor and role model.

Chelsea Asman​ earned her B.F.A. in Dance Performance from Chapman University and is a recent graduate of University of California, Irvine where she earned her M.F.A. in dance. As a graduate student Chelsea had the privilege of working as Professor Emeritus Donald McKayle’s teaching assistant, and additionally taught courses in jazz, modern, and social dance. Chelsea has also taught at Loyola Marymount University, Fullerton College, and The Gabriella Foundation. Chelsea has performed with Los Angeles based companies such as; Invertigo Dance Theatre, Diavolo Dance Theatre’s Education Company, Kairos Dance Company, and Multiplex Dance. Her choreography has been shown throughout Los Angeles, including L.A. Dance Festival and MixMatch Dance Festival. She has also choreographed for Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley, CA. Chelsea is the founder of the Contemporary Modern Dance Collective where she held the position of Committee Chairman from 2013 to 2016. She also co-produced the first Women Manifest Dance concert for women empowerment in West Hollywood, CA in 2016. In addition to her dance training, Chelsea is a certified personal trainer. She wrote her M.F.A. thesis on how to incorporate muscular strengthening and cardiorespiratory endurance training into a collegiate level modern dance technique class. It is her goal to enhance the performance ability of dancers through her knowledge of exercise science.

Tina Banchero is TGF’s Artistic Director and holds her BA in Dance & Women’s Studies from SUNY at Buffalo. Tina toured internationally and performed professionally with companies based in San Francisco for 15 years before relocating to Los Angeles. She was the former Artistic Director of Dance Mission Theater’s Youth Program in SF where she grew the non-profit dance school from 40 to over 400 students and directed their award-winning youth dance company the Grrrl Brigade. As a Teaching Artist Tina has taught for Luna Kids Dance, the Alvin Ailey Dance Camps in Oakland and NYC and many Elementary, Middle and High Schools in the Bay Area and New York. Tina was an Artist Mentor and Teaching Artist with the Performing Arts Workshop in SF and has judged & taught master classes for Dance Masters of America. She has also choreographed for the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, the Light in the Grove Benefit for the National AIDS Memorial, and Trolley Dances SF.

Laura Berg works with Los Angeles-based company Acts of Matter and is co-creator of WHYTEBERG.  WHYTEBERG creates and performs work for stage and film, and teaches professionals and college students.  Laura received her BFA in Dance from California Institute of the Arts and trained at London Contemporary Dance School, where she collaborated with international designers and choreographers based in London, including company Dot2Dot.  Until attending CalArts, Laura studied the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum at Los Angeles Ballet Academy.

Anthony Berry was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. He graduated from Community Charter Early College High School in 2010, and is currently attending Cal State Northridge as a Journalism Media major in hopes to have an Underground Hip-hop Radio station. During his junior year of high school he was introduced to Jackie Lopez and Leigh Foaad. He began training with Jackie and Leigh in Hip-hop dance, and his commitment led him to be an original member of Versa-Style Next Generation. After performing with Versa-Style Next Generation in Versa-Style’s “Positive Dose” in October 2011, Anthony was asked to join the core company, with whom he has been dancing with for 5 years now. He has loved dance ever since he can remember, and he puts his heart and soul into every performance and battle he participates in.

Anthony Lee Bryant began his dance training in his hometown of Elkin, NC.  While studying under Pamela Myers Wurdeman at The Academy of Dance Arts and Performance, she mentored and encouraged him to audition for The University of North Carolina School of the Arts for high school.  He earned his high school diploma from UNCSA and then moved to NYC to attend The American Musical and Dramatic Academy for Musical Theater and later Juilliard, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.  Anthony has danced with Disney’s The Lion King, Cathy Rigby’s Peter Pan, Complexions, Aszure Barton, L.A. Dance Project, AntiGravity and others.  He has danced nationally and internationally on stage and in film.  He has also taught dance and gymnastics at dance studios in NC, Atlanta and NYC, including The Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation.  Anthony is excited to work with the students and team at The Gabriella Foundation/everybody dance! 

Originally from Canada, Christina studied in the professional division of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. In 2005, she graduated from the Juilliard School in New York City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Upon graduation, Christina joined the Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia. She later returned to Canada in 2007 to join Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, with whom she toured the world. In 2015, Christina relocated to Los Angeles to join BODYTRAFFIC. She has performed for organizations such as Cirque du Soleil, L’Oreal, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Christina is also passionate about teaching. In addition to teaching for TGF, she is on faculty at Windward School, AMDA College for the Performing Arts, and The Bod Studio by Kym Herjavec. Christina’s love of teaching also extends to yoga and fitness. Certified through YogaWorks, she currently teaches yoga and dance fitness to a large clientele in Los Angeles.

Natalie is the Dance Office Registrar at the Echo Park location, as well as an Echo Park resident. She is originally from Seattle and has lived in Atlanta as well as Granada and Malaga, Spain. She graduated from Agnes Scott College with a BA in History and Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude honors. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and is (slowly) learning Tagalog. Natalie has traveled to many countries but her favorites are Mexico and the Philippines because she loves connecting with her roots and the instant welcome and hospitality. Natalie loves dancing at The Sweat Spot in Silverlake and even has a small dance studio in her apartment. She is also the founder of Be Fancy Cosmetics, whose mission is to make ethical and toxin-free beauty accessible to everyone.

Patricia, a.k.a “P-shock”, was born and raised in East Los Angeles. She has been dancing Hip-hop since middle school, but she became more interested in making it a part of her career in high school. Being an alumni of Lincoln High School, she knows the kind of help the low-income communities need to strive to be better. She is a teaching artist for Urban Movement, located at Lincoln High School, and for TGF. She is currently a student at Pasadena City College and transferring to Cal-State Los Angeles to major in psychology. She enjoys sharing the love she has for dance through performances and sharing her knowledge with the youth.

Sarin Cemcem was born and raised between Orange County and Los Angeles, California. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Art History with an emphasis in Surrealism from the University of California Los Angeles. Sarin has worked in Museum Education at the Orange County Museum of Art, leading tours for students of different ages and developed interpretation for gallery experiences. Her most recent position was as Coordinator of Education Programs at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the largest non-profit arts institution in Orange County. In December 2017, Sarin completed her Master of Arts in Museum Studies at the University of San Francisco. Sarin is excited to be part of the amazing team at the Gabriella Foundation! Outside of work, Sarin loves exploring the vast culture of Los Angeles with her toy Australian Shepherd Combo!

Donnie “Crumbs” Counts was born in 1979 in Las Vegas, Nevada. His family moved to Panama, and then eventually to Modesto, California, where Crumbs discovered B-boying and Freestyle dancing. He was instantly hooked! In 1994, Crumbs became a founding member of a crew entitled “Style Elements” and in 2003, a member of another crew called “Killafornia.”

Crumbs has accumulated over 100 first place titles in national and international competitions and has consistently attacked the underground and commercial worlds. He has choreographed for Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliot, the Black Eyed Peas and Christina Aguilera and has also been featured in several major dance motion pictures, including “You Got Served” and “How She Move.” His dance skills also led him into acting roles in Sony Pictures “Planet Bboy” and Disney’s “Step Up 2” Commercials include McDonalds, Coke, Apple, Volkswagen and Toyota. Crumbs is a main character in Sony PlayStation’s Video Game “Bboy.”

Cindy is the Dance Office Registrar at the Burlington location of everybody dance! Cindy is in charge of the day-to-day activities of the Burlington dance office. She keeps track of the attendance and tuition fees, and fields all parent questions. The registrars are the bridge between parents and staff. She, along with the other registrars, help the studios run smoothly. Cindy is fluently bilingual in Spanish and English, and translates for parents whenever needed. She has been working with children since 2010 and has a real passion for it. Dedicated to doing her best, she always comes in with a smile and a positive attitude. Cindy loves music and dance, which make her experience at everybody dance! much more rewarding. Cindy lives in the outskirts of Los Angeles, California.

Ivys is a teaching assistant at TGF’s new after-school site on the campus of Dr. Maya Angelou High School. She was also TGF’s very first Los Angeles County Arts Commission summer intern in 2017. Through her internship, Ivys gained a lot of experience on what it is like to work at a non-profit organization, and she even taught her own art classes for SummerDance camp. She is also a former student at everybody dance! where she trained in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz during her high school years. Dancing at everybody dance! helped her gain a lot of confidence and passion for dance. She is currently attending California State University of Los Angeles, majoring in Child and Family Studies.

Lauren is the Program Director for TGF’s everybody dance! program. Ms. Deck oversees the program’s dance offices and staff, student and parent policies, procedures and registration, family accounts, school partnerships, and program data collection and analysis. Lauren started out as a visual arts instructor and exhibiting artist. She has worked in the non-profit sector for over a decade, most previously at P.S. ARTS. She earned a BA in Studio Art & Entrepreneurial Studies from University of Southern Maine, and has studied at Beverly Hills Lingual Institute, Center for Non-Profit Management, Ojai Foundation, Sol Latino & Salsa Academy in Guatemala and Viver Brasil’s Dancing at the Source in Salvador, Brazil. Lauren has been a dance enthusiast since taking her first West African dance class at age 24. She currently studies Afro-Brazilian dance with Swing Brazil in Venice, and lives in Reseda with her fiancé Samir and their dog Sula.

Kate Dougherty is originally from Glenmoore, Pennsylvania. Kate began studying dance at Premiere Dance Studio at the age of five. She was awarded a talent scholarship to attend Muhlenberg College where she earned a BA in dance. Kate has trained, taught and danced in New York City, Italy and Los Angeles, working with CoreDance Contemporary, Emotions Physical Theater, Keith A. Thompson, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, and Dorrell Martin and has performed at such venues as Spazioseme di Seme in Arezzo, Italy, APAP at Peridance Capezio Center in New York City, and The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Besides dance, Kate has studied many other movement styles including aerial silks, capoeira, acrobatics, and break dance.

Brianna grew up in California and received most of her early training under the prestigious ballet masters Patrick Frantz, (Paris Opera Ballet), Rebecca Wright, (ABT) and Marat Daukayav, (Kirov Ballet). Brianna then trained and danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet before going on to perform leading roles in many other Nationally recognized companies including: State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara, LA Classical Ballet, City Ballet of LA, California Festival Ballet, LA Opera, and Luminario Ballet of LA, where she was also the assistant rehearsal director and assistant choreographer to Mr. Stefan Wenta and Jamal Story of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Brianna also has many film and T.V. credits including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Castle, Emmy Awards, Deal or No Deal, and Dancing With The Stars. Brianna loves teaching ballet and is very excited to pass on all of her incredible knowledge and joy of dance.

Melissa is the Program & Operations Coordinator for TGF. Born and raised in San Francisco, Melissa spent her childhood and teenage years taking various dance classes, ballet and jazz being her favorites. However, upon entering college, Melissa decided to study film and television production. As a result, she graduated from Santa Clara University, with a degree in Communications, emphasizing in Film. After spending the last few years working in the world of film and television, Melissa decided to return to her passion of dance. As luck would have it, TGF was the perfect fit. Outside of work, Melissa can be found rooting for her favorite sports team (Go Clippers!) and exploring the flavors of Los Angeles (a.k.a. constantly trying new restaurants).

Lesly Flores is a Dancer, Teaching Artist, and Entrepreneur from Los Angeles, CA. She received her B.A. with a double major in Communication Studies and Dance at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). Lesly has been dancing since she was very young! Her Latin roots naturally had her dancing to Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Cumbia. However, she discovered the rigorous training of Ballet when she we 8 years old with the City Ballet of Los Angeles. She then continued to Dance in middle school and took on a more rigorous training in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz at Hollywood High Performing Arts Magnet School under the mentorship of Lisa Goldshien and Keny Long. Her passion for dance deepened with her descion to study dance at a university level. She went off to Dance for Synapse Dance Company and collaborated and trained with many talented Artists during her time at LMU. She discovered that she will always continue to grow in her Artistry as a Dancer and is most satisfied in being able to teach and give back! She currently is a Teaching Artist for the Gabriella Charter School and Founder of an after-school dance program called Dance2Serve that is based on empowering our youth through the Dance and bringing forth a more social conscious generation.

Ernesto was born on January 7, 1993 and has lived in the San Fernando Valley his entire life. Ernesto’s dance career started when he first met Jackie Lopez, co-director of Versa-Style Dance Company, through an after-school program in the sixth grade at his middle school. Later, Ernesto received scholarships from the Flourish Foundation to take Hip-hop dance courses at the Jonette Swider Dance Center where Jackie then introduced him to Leigh Foaad, the other co-director of Versa-Style. In 2009, Ernesto was one of the original members of Versa-Style Next Generation, but is now a Principle Dancer and Social Media and Marketing Director for the Company, and Co-Director of Versa-Style Next Generation. He graduated from UCLA in 2015 and has now been dancing Hip-hop for about 12 years. Ernesto’s goal now is to pass on his knowledge and inspire the future generations through hip-hop and its culture.

G’bari Gilliam, a.k.a. “GQ”, grew up in Berkeley, CA. He began dancing in the Bay Area at the age of 13. His first style of dance was West African dance. But in high school he took in an interest in Hip-hop dance and began choreographing dances for Berkeley High School’s annual pep rallies. During the summer of his Junior Year in High school, he participated in the UCLA Dance/ Theatre Intensive, where he was introduced to Jackie Lopez and Leigh Foaad. He later attended UCLA and received his degree in Dance in June of 2016. G’bari has been a member of Versa-Style Dance Company since June 2014. Starting with Versa-Style Next Generation then later being promoted to Versa-Style’s Core Company in September 2014. G’bari has knowledge of many styles of dance such as hip-hop, house, whacking, West African, ballet, contemporary and more.

Cynthia Hernandez was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Her passion for dance arose in the year of 2006 when she met her mentors, Jackie Lopez and Leigh Foaad. Inspired by her mentors, Cynthia began to continue training with Versa-Style where she attended Community Classes and Summer Intensives at the Jonette Swider Dance Center. After many years of hard work, Cynthia was asked to join Versa-Style’s Junior Company (Versa Style Next Generation) in 2009. There, her vocabulary in dance widened from a variety in styles consisting of House, Popping, Locking and Hip Hop social dances. Her hard work and dedication moved Cynthia up from Junior Company member to Core Dancer in Versa-Style. Cynthia is now attending California State University Northridge where she plans to earn a degree in Public Health.

Natasha started dancing when she was three years old and followed her passion for movement all the way to college where she graduated with a BA degree in dance. Today she spends most of her time dancing and performing with choreographers around Los Angeles as well as teaching children the joy movement can bring in her dance classes. She strongly believes in the power of dance to build confidence, discipline, and a strong sense of self and is so excited to help all of her students find their creative voice this school year!

Alice is a ballet instructor at TGF. She first began her dance training at everybody dance! at eight years old, completing her ballet training at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet and Los Angeles California High School for the Arts. She trained under the tutelage of Vera Ninkovic, Marat Daukayev, Hasmik Amirian, and Edouard Kouzmitch. Alice has performed professionally with Runway Ballet and Hollywood Ballet; she has also performed in TV shows including ABC’s Bunheads and Agent X. She has been a professional dance instructor for eight years and currently teaches for everybody dance!, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, and other Los Angeles-area dance studios. Alice is excited to share her love of dance with her students.

Stephanie’s professional career has spanned more than 20 years and she has worked extensively as a teaching artist, choreographer, and dancer. She has worked with many musical artists, including Cher, Tina Turner, Chemical Brothers, and Panic at the Disco. She danced or choreographed commercials for Pepsi, Gap, Ford, and K-mart, to name a few. Some television credits include: Dancing with the Stars, Baby Daddy, Cougar Town, and various award shows. Film credits: La, La, Land, Gangster Squad, The Muppet Movie, Valley Girl (2018), She’s all That, and more! Stephanie has also been a soloist for the LA Opera and danced with several dance companies. As a teaching artist, beyond everybody dance!, Stephanie is on faculty at the Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts College and Conservatory. Stephanie LOVES dance. She is thankful and proud to pass on her knowledge and experience to future generations of dancers.

Anthony is a contemporary dancer based out of Los Angeles. He has previously trained with Amy Bates-Nakamura, Mike Esperanza, Lee Martino, Tyce Diorio, and Will Johnston. Anthony holds his BA in dance from Loyola Marymount University. He has had the privilege to present works and teach at Chapman University, The American Dance Training Camp, Club Jete, Millennium, Boogiezone Utopia, The Lineage Emerging Artists Series, The American College Dance Festival, Loyola Marymount University, and numerous other high schools/dance studios. Anthony is currently on faculty at Dance Precisions. One of Anthony’s proudest accomplishments is being artistic director/founder of Blurredink, a Los Angeles-based contemporary dance company.

Yesenia Macedo-Lopez is a native-Spanish speaker, born in Guerrero, Mexico and raised in South Central Los Angeles. As a first generation student, Yesenia graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Community Studies and Education. Inspired to learn more about other cultures, Yesenia moved and lived in NYC for twelve years. Prior to joining TGF, Yesenia developed into a seasoned, effective arts and social justice education leader and professional at DreamYard, an arts integration social justice organization in the Bronx. Yesenia participated in professional development opportunities such as, PASE/Baruch College Emerging Leaders Program, UCLArts and Healing Social Emotional Arts Learning Program, Columbia Developing Leaders Program and Racial Equity in the Arts Innovation Lab. As a passionate social dancer, Yesenia aspires to continue her career in dance education, social emotional arts learning and social equity work. Yesenia is excited to uplift and transform her own community.

Assata is a professional tap dancer from Los Angeles. She is a part of the all women viral sensation tap group, Syncopated Ladies, who Beyoncé hired to perform at her Top Shop Ivy Park Launch in London. In her youth, Assata trained with Paul and Arlene Kennedy and Universal Dance Designs. As a UCLA undergraduate, she studied under Lynn Dally, Artistic Director of Jazz Tap Ensemble. She also studied at the Jacob’s Pillow Tap Program in 2010 and 2012. She has taught at the DC Tap Festival and at Sarah Reich’s Monday Night Tap Experience. Assata teaches throughout Los Angeles at TGF, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Creative Learning Academy, and Chloe & Maud Foundation. Assata is a member of Ric’key Pageot & Dessy Di Lauro’s Parlor Social. Her passion is to inspire others through dance to express their gifts and discover their passion and purpose.

Katelyn has been a teaching artist with TGF since 2013. She works with the CNCA program, focusing on musical theater, jazz, ballet, and hip hop dance. Originally from New Hampshire, Katelyn graduated from Loyola Marymount University with two degrees, one in dance and one in communication studies. Along with teaching, Katelyn also dances professionally. She is a member of the contemporary dance company Kairos Dance Company. She has also had the pleasure to dance on TruTv, in film, music videos, and live events, including musicals and dancing at the Staples Center. She is currently directing her first children’s musical. Musical theater holds a special place in her heart, she loves how it asks children to express themselves through movement and song. Katelyn hopes to impart on her students that hard work and dedication are the key to any successful career path!

As a TGF Registrar since 2003, Liz receives monthly tuition payments, answers phone calls, enters data, helps instructors, monitors the parent waiting area, and supervises parent volunteers. Prior to her work at TGF, Liz served as a caregiver for the elderly from 1978-1998 and volunteered in the Downey Unified School District from 1984-1989. Liz worked for LAUSD at Virgil Middle School from 1997-2002 as the school’s “Parent Liaison” and was instrumental in opening Virgil’s first Parent Center in 1999. The Parent Center empowered parents to get involved and have a positive voice in their children’s education – setting this example being her heartfelt purpose. She was introduced to everybody dance! in 2000 when its doors opened and her daughter Lizzie joined one of the first dance classes.

Cristina earned a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Italian Studies from Chapman University.  She has trained extensively in Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, Ballroom, and Irish Dance.  Cristina is currently a trainee company member of Chloé Arnold’s all female tap band “Syncopated Ladies” and has also appeared as a Dance-In on CBS’s “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”  She has been featured in J.ournal Poem’s music video, “9/12”, and performed in Steady Holiday’s newest music video, “Who’s Gonna Stop Us.”  She has performed for Oasis Center International’s arts education program that brings tap and live music to public schools alongside Jason Rodgers. Choreographically, Cristina has set work at Chapman University, YAGP, and recently for the L.A.-based/internationally touring band, Moonchild, on their newest official music video, “The List”.  She cares deeply about creating a supportive educational environment for young dancers to cultivate their creative voices.

Julia is TGF’s Executive Director, bringing over 20 years of experience in the fields of public health and human services. As ED of the YWCA Santa Monica, Julia spearheaded the organization’s efforts to become a known convener of programs and partners working to empower women, girls, and families at every life stage and turning point. Prior to the YWCA, Julia served as Director of Fundraising for AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s worldwide HIV/AIDS treatment and care programs – experience that she leveraged from her HIV/AIDS, family planning and maternal/child health work with Population Services International in Washington, DC, and India. As a Director of Community Services for the American Cancer Society, Julia led a small staff and a mighty team of volunteers in implementing cancer education and patient service programs, plus community-wide fundraising events to support cancer research. Julia lives in Santa Monica with her daughter, Isabella, and their “Morkie” Max!

Laurie Muniz, better known as “Lo” a native of San Diego, is the Artistic Director of Contemporary Arte In Movement. Laurie has danced with the Winifred R. Harris Between the Lines Dance Co., the Benita Bike Dance Art Company, and the Patricia Rincon Dance Collective. Stage credits include the National Tour of Selena Forever (Dance Capitan), Veteranos: The Legacy of Valor directed by Enrique Castillo, In the Heights (Dance Capitan) Performance Riverside directed by Carlos Mendoza and the 25th anniversary of Zoot Suit (Dance Capitan) with El Teatro Campesino. Choreography credits include Guys and Dolls at Candlelight Pavilion, Veteranos Legacy of Valor directed by Enrique Castillo, In the Heights (Assistant Choreographer) at Candlelight Pavilion, Corridos Remix with El Teatro Campesino, Romeo and Juliet at East LA Classic Theater Co., The Luis Oliart Project, Nitro, Tribute to Frida Kahlo, Cuentos: From the Living to the Dead, TMK Entertainment, 12 Words of Christmas, Imagine Christmas and Ignite Entertainment.

Marina graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in 2011. She has been teaching for everybody dance! program since 2014. Marina specializes in teaching Luigi technique for JillyJazz Dance Arts. She has performed in Los Angeles in such musicals as A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Cabaret, The World Goes Round, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Pippin. She has also performed in New York in the Rockette Summer Intensive.

Lilian Ortega, AKA LilyBreeze is a Dancer/ B-Girl and Teaching Artist on a mission to heal the world through Hip-Hop. First generation Latina, born in San Fernando, CA. Since birth, Lilian has been exposed to the many influences of Hip Hop Culture from graffiti art, music, and dance. Her dance inspiration flourished from her father who introduced her to Mambo at the age of seven. From 2007-2016, she was dancing professionally for Versa Style Dance Company. In 2014 she graduated from UCLA with a BA in World Arts and Cultures/ Dance. Lilian has traveled, performed, trained, and taught professionally, both nationally and internationally. Her knowledge of dance has been passed down by some of the world’s best dancers, pioneers, and legends. Lilian is currently a Teaching Artist for New Roads, No Easy Props, and Everybody Dance. Aspiring to be fluent in all 4 elements of Hip Hop, Lilian leads by example.

Vanessa is the Dance Registrar at the Burlington site and is committed to ensuring that parents and students receive services with respect, dignity and humanity. She has experience working in both the non-profit and private sectors. Most recently, she worked in the South Central community empowering both students and parents in reaching their academic goals. Also, she has a strong background in creating community partnerships to address service gaps and in using social media to mobilize community activism. Most importantly, she is interested in capturing data and making data “work” for disadvantaged communities.

Iantha is an instructor of Ballet, Modern, and Jazz with both everybody dance! And CNCA Programs under TGF. She has been teaching for a total of 7 years, starting her career in New York City when graduating from Fordham University/The Ailey School with her BFA in Dance. Following her graduation, she began simultaneously teaching at The Ailey Schools youth division as well as Harlem School for the Arts, and other leading urban development arts programs around the city. Iantha is an American Ballet Certified Ballet instructor and has trained in numerous specifically codified Modern techniques under some of the most profound teachers of our time while studying in New York City. In her past 3 years working for TGF, Iantha has grown increasingly inspired by the foundation and the work they are doing in the greater Los Angeles Community. She could not be more proud to be apart of something so impactful!

Ricky “Stuntman” RocAny began dancing as a hobby in 1993, but it quickly developed into his lifelong passion.  Perhaps the hallmark of his style is his strong emphasis on musicality and dancing, often channeling not only the instruments of a song, but the lyrics as well. His unique character and originality gained him notoriety among both pioneers and contemporaries.  He has danced in various USA All-Star teams competing both in Paris and London, as well as performances in Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Holland, and Switzerland, Finland, Panama, Russia, just to name a few.  Other credits include: articles and prints in magazines such as The Source, Dancers Delight (Japan), Show and Prove (SP), and Vibe; his very own B-Boy trading card; various music videos; a feature in The Wade Robson Project pilot; and an appearance on the TV show Dancing with the Stars.

Elizabeth Rodriguez, “EastLos”, is a native Angelina who has worked with inner-city youth since age 12, earning the 2012 Kohl’s Regional Volunteer of the Year Award. Elizabeth was exposed to Hip Hop in high school and focused all of her efforts on teaching dance at non-profits such as Inner-City Arts, the Crown Jewel Club, and J.U.I.C.E. Elizabeth subsequently graduated from UCLA with a double major in Dance and Spanish. Her main styles include Breakin’, Hip Hop, House, experience in other styles under the Hip Hop umbrella, as well as experience in various Latin dance forms. Elizabeth has had the opportunity to study and perform with Open House, Versa-Style Next Generation, Physical Poets, Inner-City Arts Repertory Dance Co. and Contra-Tiempo Futuro. Elizabeth truly believes that everybody can dance and continues to give back to her community, hoping to inspire inner-city youth through Hip Hop.

Evelyn is the Dance Office Registrar for our newest location at Maya Angelou High School in South Central. As a former student of the everybody dance program where she took Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary Jazz, she remembers how much it helped her academically and her overall confidence. She graduated from Goucher College with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish and took many courses in Education as well. She is a native-Spanish speaker and studied Spanish in Córdoba, Argentina for six months. After living in Baltimore for four years, she is excited to be back in her hometown of Los Angeles and to be a part of an organization that welcomed her and her mother back when she was six-years-old. Today she enjoys holding the important role of bridging the parents at Maya Angelou to the everybody dance program.

Anibal has been an active dancer since the age of 13. He has studied under the guidance of Kathleen Burnett, Shelby Curtis Meeker, Cindy Littlefield, Chris Anderson and Rochelle Guardado. He has trained in gymnastics, Modern, Ballet, Breakdance, Chinese Pole and Martial Arts. Between 2007-2012, Anibal performed as a company member of Diavolo Dance Theater, performing world premieres at the Greek Theater and the Hollywood Bowl.

After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University on a Presidential Academic Scholarship, Ellie Soto moved to North Hollywood to begin her Professional Dance Career.  She is represented by one of the most prestigious dance agencies in the country, Go 2 Talent Agency and has found much success since moving.  Ellie just finished filming the dance film “Heartbeats” in Mumbai, India-which is currently being released worldwide.  She has danced in music videos and on The Ellen Show for Ariana Grande, and on TV shows such as “Mobbed” and “Americas Greatest Hits.”  In addition to commercial work, she has had extensive classical ballet and modern training that she furthered in Alvin Ailey’s Professional Division Summer Program.  She has assisted Tyce Diorio for the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” and was also a Top 22 Female “green mile” finalist for the show in seasons 4&6.  Ellie performs as a member of Emmy Award Winning Tessandra Chavez’s Contemporary/Hip Hop Company “Unity LA.”  She also just began her third tour as a Faculty Member for Velocity Dance Convention, where she travels around the country assisting Professional Choreographers, judging competitions, and mentors young dancers in a different city every weekend.

Sophia Stoller is a choreographer, dancer and dance educator based in Los Angeles. She has shown work in festivals and venues locally and internationally, including REDCAT, Electric Lodge, ShowBow L.A.’s Anatomy Riot, the Fowler Museum, and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company’s Nizozot Showcase, and has presented self-produced evening-length works at Bootleg Theater and the Sharon Disney Lund Theater. From 2010-2013, Sophia was one of the Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors of Soul Lab Dance Project. She has performed with Nickerson-Rossi Dance, Union Project Dance Company, and Soul Lab Dance Project, as well as the work of Rami Be’er and Mats Ek.  She holds a BA in World Arts and Cultures/Dance and a BA in Psychology from UCLA, and an MFA in Choreography from California Institute of the Arts.

Sandy, a native Angelina and daughter of undocumented immigrants, began her dance training when she was 6 years old at everybody dance! As one of the organization’s first students, her training consisted of Modern, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop, among other styles. After completing her training at everybody dance! when she was 18, she moved on to study at UCLA. She recently graduated with degrees in Dance and Chicana/o Studies. Throughout her dance career, Sandy has had the opportunity to study and perform with The Jazz Tap Ensemble, Versa-Style Dance Company, Sarah Reich’s Tap Music Project, and Bernard Brown’s BB Moves, to name a few. She currently teaches Tap 1 at everybody dance! and could not be happier to play a part in the organization’s mission while giving back to her community.

Starting at the age of five Keva Walker trained for eight years in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Modern. She has professionally taught dance classes in China and has provided full year dance courses in the Chicago public school system. Goals of inspiring inner city children to learn technique, etiquette and the history of various dance styles led her to moving to Los Angeles, and she now specializes in rare dance forms such as Vogue Femme, Chicago Footwork, and House.

Keva Walker has recently toured internationally with Dawn Richard from the girl group Danity Kane and performed live on stage with Tiesto, Calvin Harris and Armin Van Burren. She has also been a featured dancer and actor in commercials for Miley Cyrus’s MTV/VMA Awards Promo, Nick Cannon’s America’s Got Talent, and upcoming latest film of the Fast & Furious franchise. Music Videos include working with 5 Seconds of Summer, ZHU, Coldplay, Katlynn Simone, and Foster the People.

At the age of 18, Harry moved to Los Angeles to study dance at UCLA. A year later, in 2009, his journey in the arts and greater Los Angeles community began. He was asked to join Versa-Style Dance Company, became a Teaching Artist for The Flourish Foundation, and became program counselor for the UCLA Summer Dance/Theater Intensive for high school students. In 2012, after graduating UCLA with a BA in World Arts and Cultures with a concentration in Dance, and a minor in Civic Engagement, he continued to work his way through all three endeavors. Today, he is a Core Dancer and Partnerships Manager for Versa-Style, Program Director for The Flourish Foundation, and Co-Director for the UCLA summer program. He has also worked with a variety of organizations along the way, such as J.U.i.C.E., UniverSOUL, and TGF.

Ashley Wilkerson has a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she also performed throughout the city. She has performed internationally, touring to Germany, Australia, South Korea, and the Turks and Caicos Islands with shows, and worked with dance companies including Seoul Ballet, Philadelphia City Ballet, Bare Dance Company, and Dorn Dance Company. As a company member of Mecca Andrews’ The MOVEMENT movement, she has performed works for Edge PAC, Art of Elysium, The Getty, and The Broad. She performed with and appeared in videos for musical artists including Daft Punk, Pharrell, Maroon 5, the EC Twins, Nervo, and Martin Solveig. Ashley is also a certified Pilates instructor and a master teacher of barre exercise. She starred in Pop Physique’s DVD collection and lead many of their teacher trainings. Ashley has years of experience teaching dance, for both in-school and after-school programs. She has been teaching for The Gabriella Foundation since 2012 and has been the Artistic Manager since 2017.

Steve is a globe-trotting master tap dancer and tap teacher who has trained and performed with the Nicholas Brothers, Gregory Hines, and countless other tap notables. He has taught and performed across the United States, Europe, South America, and in China, edited two oral histories housed at prestigious scholarly institutions, and been a member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble and Rhapsody In Taps. Check out his Ted talk “Tap Dancing Is The Story Of America.” Steve recently launched Tap Academy Online, the world’s first subscription-based tap training program, and currently teaches lessons in two languages to subscribers on four continents. Please visit www.tapacademyonline.com. Steve can also be found in the Dance Departments at CSU, Long Beach, and Santa Monica College and giving master classes at various dance studios in Southern California. More on Steve at www.stevezee.com.